Thursday, 15 September 2011, Day 296/365.
The good thing about working in the city is the easy access to quite a number of eating establishments.
I met some ex-colleagues for lunch last week and we went to a dumpling place – they seem to have risen in popularity recently.
Somehow we ended up with a soup dumpling hot-pot which was quite delicious but I didn’t get my dumpling fix as there were only two each.
Despite that, it was delicious and filling.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011, Day 295/365.
Can you tell what this is?
I took the photo and when I was looking back at it I wasn’t quite sure at first what it was. Then I turned my camera around at all different angles to see which way up it should go. The trouble with doing that on an iPhone is that the picture turns with you.
Anyway, I left it this way up and this way up it shall stay.
Tuesday, 13 September 2011, Day 294/365.
Sometimes I love the way photos turn out. For this one I noticed the extra detail, something I might normally walk past.
Incase you can’t tell, this is a spider web. It’s on a fence and I took it on our morning walk. I probably had to stop when Monty stopped to have a sniff at something and that’s when I noticed it.
The term ‘the web’ means a lot more to me too because it’s the area of work that I’m involved in and love doing. Even though I have some contract work at the moment I still apply for longer term jobs as they arise.
I went for an interview a few weeks ago and thought I did pretty well but found out that I was unsuccessful. I’ve asked for some feedback but have yet to hear and think that I may not.
I know it’s a difficult phone call to have, the sorry you weren’t quite what we were looking for as an employee phone call, but as I took a lot of my time to write an application and get ready for and attend an interview surely I’m entitled to some feedback?
So I’m left wondering if my skills weren’t quite up to scratch, or they thought I might not be a good team fit or perhaps it was something else entirely?
I pick myself on and move on to the next possibility, write yet another job application when the opportunity arises. Or perhaps I’m destined for more contract work? I do quite like it even though it’s not quite the work that I’d ideally like to be doing, I am learning things.
Does the spider know what it’s doing next when it weaves its web? I sure don’t.
Monday, 12 September 2011, Day 293/365.
It’s Monday. I had a busy weekend. It’s spring and it’s windy and I’ve got a touch of hayfever.
My mind is blank today. And you?
Saturday, 10 September 2011, Day 291/365.
This photo will be used one day to show my son that he used to volunteer to wash up. This wasn’t one of those times but he’s still at the stage where he likes to wash up.
No doubt, one day, he won’t.
Sunday, 11 September 2011, Day 292/365.
We went to see a friend’s dad’s band – a jazz band. JJ asked my friend (and his) to dance and she did. I knew she would when I suggested it.
However, I was a little bit surprised he did it because he’s a bit shy when it comes to stuff like that. He won’t join the school choir because he feels so self-conscious about singing in front of people yet he constantly sings in front of me.
I know it’s just over a week since the 10 year anniversity of ‘9/11’ but I remember where I was when I first heard about it.
JJ was only three months old and he was still having night feeds so I’d got up a bit after midnight to feed him and as usual, turned on the tv. Instead of my late night tv diet of Star Trek I watched planes crash into the two towers over and over and over again.
Like everyone, I was horrified and couldn’t believe it.
Finally after sitting there for two hours, long after I’d put JJ back to bed, my new mother’s need of having her sleep took over. Plus nothing new was being reported so I was watching the same footage and commentary again and again.
As soon as I got up in the morning I turned on the tv again almost expecting a full-scale world war to have broken out. Luckily it didn’t go that far.
Friday, 9 September 2011, Day 290/365.
Last Friday night The Surfer and his mate got together for a jam with their guitars. Normally I am excluded from these get togethers.
This time I was invited and I borrowed a friend’s microphone so I could be the singer.
It was exhausting, but good fun although The Rolling Stones wrote a lot more songs than I ever imagined. I hardly know any of them.I mention this because that’s what my guitarists are really into.
They work really well together taking it in turns with the lead guitar and rhythm and it was good to watch. My ukulele even made a brief appearance. I just need to electrify it so I can join in. Woo hooo.
We did do some other songs besides Rolling Stones, things they probably wouldn’t have done if I wasn’t there.
We ‘jammed’ for four hours straight so by midnight I was completely knackered and ready for bed.
We did arrange to go and see Tex Perkins and The Kill Devil Hills tonight though. Am really looking forward to that.
Thursday, 8 September 2011, Day 289/365.
This day a week ago I had a day trip to Melbourne to have a peak at the new Spyro Skylanders Adventure game.
It’s a bit of an organisational nightmare trying to fit something like this in around childcare and there was no way I could have done it if a friend didn’t stay over the night before and take JJ to school in the morning. I had to be at the airport in enough time for the 6.55am flight.
I didn’t sleep much the night before because I was panicking about not waking up to the alarm, and hoping I’d have enough time to get from the airport to the event. Of course it was all fine but it meant that I got through the day on only a few hours sleep.
Afterwards I had a coffee with a couple of the other bloggers that were there but then excused myself so I could go shopping. When in Melbourne one must go shopping.
As I only had a couple of hours I just went into the city, got off the tram and walked the wrong way down Flinders Lane. This wasted about 20 minutes of my valuable shopping time.
I managed to buy a new pair of Birkenstocks, a summer dress and a small purple leather shoulder bag. This last purchase was so quick because I thought I’d better start heading to the airport and I walked past a shop, saw it, and thought I must have that. Went in to buy it and the shop assistant said she’d grab a new one from out the back. I said don’t worry about that, this one will do, paid for it and got to the airport with plenty of time to spare.
I also bought a souvenir for my son (the book of Oliver Twist). I don’t think he was too pleased with it but he likes the musical so I thought he might like the book. Time will tell. I also bought a little something for my babysitter friend.
On the plane on the way back an Irish guy got on and he had the window seat so we both had to get up to let him in. He was snuffling and blowing his nose and this was while he wasn’t constantly on his phone organising stuff. He told us he was going to Adelaide to buy a car. I thought he wasn’t going to turn his phone off but he did just as we started taxiing to the runway.
He turned it on again as soon as he was allowed to after we landed. Why is it that in Melbourne you can’t use your mobile phone until you enter the terminal but in Adelaide as soon as you land you’re allowed to use it.
After a busy and eventful day, I had a good sleep that night and it makes me glad that I don’t have to travel much for work, even though this wasn’t strictly work. I don’t think I’d like that type of job.
